Fiber



Patented Jan. 16, 1940 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FIBER No Drawing.

Original application August 12,

1937, Serial No. 158,822. Divided and this application May 19, 1938, Serial No. 208.832

2 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) This application is made under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended by the act of April 30, 1928, and the invention herein described and claimed, if patented, may be manufactured and I used by or for the Government of the United States for governmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalty therein.

This application is a division of the one filed by us on August 12, 1937, bearing Serial No.

We hereby dedicate the invention herein described to the free use of the People of the United States of America to take eiiect on the granting of a patent to us.

Our invention deals with fibers made from casein.

The object of our invention is to bring about improvements in the composition of the fiber precipitating baths.

2 We have found that when acetic anhydride is used in the. precipitating bath, excellent fibers are produced. An example of such a bath is given below.

Example again-1p Dispersion and bath temperatures in the foregoing example is usually 70 0., but other temperatures ranging from 50 C. up, may be employed, as well.

It will be understood that our invention is 6 not restricted to the example given, as proportions, constituents, and substitutes may be varied over a wide range. The proportions of the aidehydes may particularly be altered. Acetone can be used in the bath as a precipitant and dehydrant.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim for Letters Patent is:

1. A process for producing non-adherent casein fibers, which includes subjecting a dispersion 15 comprising casein having a greater pH value than 4.6 in the form of fine streams to the action of an acid bath comprising an alcoholic solution of acetic anhydride.

2. A process for producing non-adherent casein Q0 fibers, which includes subjecting a dispersion comprising casein having a greater pH value than 4.6 in the form of fine streams to the action of an acid bath comprising ethanol and acetic anhydride.

EARLE O. WHI'I'I'IER. STEPHEN P. GOULD. 

